The present invention generally relates to cardroom or video gaming involving a progressive jackpot. More particularly it relates to a progressive gaming apparatus that links a plurality of gaming tables, at a plurality of gaming facilities, to a single progressive jackpot.
Gaming facilities frequently provide a progressive jackpot component in connection with electronic or mechanical gaming devices, such as slot machines, video poker machines, and Keno machines. Generally, the progressive jackpot component is created by linking a plurality of machines to a single jackpot meter. As gaming tokens are placed in the machines by players, the jackpot amount increases and is displayed on the jackpot meter. A player on one of the plurality of linked machines wins the entire jackpot by obtaining a specified outcome, e.g., three 7's on the same row of a slot machine.
The progressive jackpot concept has also been applied to table or card games. U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,405 discloses a gaming table having a plurality of player positions. Each player position has a slot for receiving a gaming token that represents a bet on a progressive jackpot. The slot includes means for detecting the receipt of a gaming token. The token receipt information from each slot is sent to a display meter. A plurality of tables are linked to a single display meter displaying the progressive jackpot. Designated winning hands generate a fixed payout for players participating in the progressive game, e.g., a royal flush wins one hundred percent of the progressive jackpot.
However, placing tokens in a slot creates handling, inventory and accountability problems for the gaming facility. While the tokens are in the hopper under the slots, whether the hopper is at the gaming table or a central location in the gaming facility, these tokens cannot be used for wagering. Gaming facilities desire to keep the tokens in circulation, passing between players and dealers as fast as possible. Also, separate collection of the tokens requires further handling, security, and accounting for the tokens. It would be advantageous to keep the tokens from progressive gaming on the table, either in the player's control or collected by the dealer.
Also, it is recognized that the larger a game's jackpot, the greater the player interest is in playing that game. Therefore, it would be advantageous to link not only a plurality of gaming tables at one facility, but a plurality of gaming facilities in order to generate a larger, faster-growing progressive jackpot.